From Guest Blogger Ronald Wolf: Going Green for Green – Incentives That Will Actually Help Your Home Renovation

During the last couple of years, people have started to become more and more environmentally aware. Building a self-sufficient, eco-friendly home for yourself has become somewhat of a trend. There are lots and lots of celebrities following the hype but there are some regular people who do exactly the same. With this said – it means you don’t have to be a millionaire so you could make an impact on your environment. You just need some planning, researching, and organizing.

One of the most crucial things quite a lot of people are unaware of is the fact that governments all around the world look on the eco-friendly home building as an investment in the future. Because of that – there are significant tax breaks, incentives, and other great options which should make it easy for almost anyone to switch to the green way of living. We’ve done a bit of researching and we’ve come across some of these incredibly useful tips you may not know about. So, let’s get straight to it.

Federal Tax Incentives

In the U.S., the federal government offers different forms of tax rebates for homeowners who decide to go green. As eco-friendly houses have an incredible impact on the environment, the federal government offers incentives to cover from 10% to 30% of the cost for all the energy-saving items. These items include biomass stoves, proper insulation and roofing, efficient windows, doors and floors, recycled building materials, heat pumps, and even some more serious items, like Energy StarⓇ appliances and energy systems.

These incentives are meant to help you in your goal of making a sustainable, efficient, and eco-friendly home, but it also helps you save a lot of money in a long run. Using some or all of the mentioned solutions, when it comes to building your own green home, will help you spend a lot less energy, time, and money. You will be able to build your new home faster, you will manage to save some money, get tax breaks, and you will make a huge impact on your surroundings.

State and County Financial Incentives

When it comes to more local incentives, there are a lot of different state, county, and city programs which also aim to ease the process of building an eco-friendly home for yourself. For example, a program in California known as Energy Upgrade California gives rebates up to $4,000 for energy efficient solutions when you’re building an eco-friendly green home.

Doing your research is essential when you’re planning on building a green home for yourself. Check all the county and city networks of different tax breaks, incentives, and loans planned for a building of an eco-friendly house. You will be surprised how most of the local authorities look on the eco-friendly builds. Utility companies, construction businesses, local and federal governments, they all have one thing in common – they all want to see a true, eco-friendly and sustainable change take place. It’s up to you to find the best possible way to use their help in your own way.

Save on Basic Improvements

It all sounds great when you’re starting to build your eco-friendly, sustainable home from scratch, but what can you do if you already have a home, but you just want to make it green? Well, there are some things that can help you out. For example – it’s not necessary to install wind turbines, solar panels and rain filters just to get a tax break. Even some smaller, basic changes are enough to qualify for different tax breaks and incentives. If you’re using the Energy StarⓇ standards, recycled materials for new isolation, and if you’re generally trying to reduce your carbon footprint while working with affordable renovation services, you will most certainly be able to discover many incentives everywhere around you. Talk to your contractors, city council, search the web, and think of it all as a long-term investment in both your environment and your future budget.

Major Renovations

When it comes to more serious renovations, ambitious eco-friendly ideas, and plans, you must prepare yourself for a bit bumpier ride. First of all – installing solar panels and wind turbines, as well as getting all of the Energy StarⓇ appliances for your home can set you back quite a lot. These appliances, items, and equipment are far from cheap, but there are numerous different incentives for anyone who chooses to include energy generating items in their renovations. Geothermal heat pumps, recycled insulation, already mentioned solar panels, wind turbines, and similar appliances are all followed by different tax breaks. In some situations, a job which would otherwise cost quite a lot, if it wasn’t eco-friendly and sustainable, now gets cut down up to 30%. So you get to save money from the very start of the renovation, and it only keeps giving later on.

Wrapping it up

Building an eco-friendly and sustainable green home is one of the best possible things you can do for both yourself and the environment. Even the slightest of sustainable and eco-friendly renovations can save you quite a lot of money. Make sure you know all of the options before you embark on this adventure, and relax – with careful research and planning, you will be able to get all the necessary incentives and tax breaks you need.